Planta Med 1996; 62(3): 217-221
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-957863
Paper

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Antiperoxidative Components in Thymus vulgaris

Hiroyuki Haraguchi1 , Takashi Saito1 , Harumi Ishikawa1 , Hideyuki Date1 , Shizuko Kataoka2 , Yukiyoshi Tamura2 , Kenji Mizutani2
  • 1Faculty of Engineering, Fukuyama University, Gakuen-cho, Fukuyama 729-02, Japan
  • 2Biology and Chemistry Laboratory, Maruzen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sanada Takanishi-cho, Fukuyama 729-01, Japan
Further Information

Publication History

1995

1995

Publication Date:
04 January 2007 (online)

Abstract

A biphenyl compound, 3,4,3′,4′-tetrahydroxy-5,5′-diisopropyl-2,2′-dimethylbiphenyl (1), and a flavonoid, eriodicytol (2), were isolated as antioxidative components from the leaves of Thymus vulgaris by bioassay-directed fractionation. These compounds inhibited superoxide anion production in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system. Mitochondrial and microsomal lipid peroxidation induced by Fe(III)-ADP/NADH or Fe(III)-ADP/NADPH were also inhibited by these compounds. Compound 1 is an extremely potent antioxidant; complete inhibition was observed at 1 µM against both microsomal and mitochondrial peroxidation. Furthermore, compound 1 protected red cells against oxidative hemolysis. These phenolic compounds were shown to be effective to protect biological systems against various oxidative stresses.

    >